We made it! There are now 400 New York wineries in 59 of New York's 62 counties, with more licenses pending at the New York State Liquor Authority, which has done a great job expediting them.

                  The modern growth of our industry began with the Farm Winery Act of 1976, when there were only 14 wineries.  That grew to 54 by 1985 when the New York Wine & Grape Foundation was created.  By 2000 there were 125 and by 2010, 253.  Since 2011 when Andrew Cuomo became Governor, 147 new wineries (including farm wineries) have opened, accelerating an already strong growth rate.  Put another way, 37% of all New York wineries have opened in the past four years, which represent only 2% of the industry history dating back to 1939.

                    Before you know it, we'll be up to 500.

                        As we descend on Washington next week we'll be sure to remind public officials of the incredible value of our industry to the American economy.  Some examples:

Grapes

--Valued at $5.7 billion annually, highest value fruit crop in the U.S. representing 33% of the value of all non-citrus fruit crops

-- 25,000 grape farms covering over 1,000,000 acres producing 7,000,000 tons annually

-- U.S. has 5% of world's grape acreage but 10% of grape production due to efficiency

Wine

-- 8,287 wineries in all 50 States

-- 900,000,000+ gallons produced annually (90% in California)

-- U.S. produces 10% of the world's wine

-- U.S. is #1 in total wine consumption at $35 billion in sales

Other

-- U.S. wine exports total $1.55 billion and 485 million cases

-- Nearly 30,000,000 tourist visits wineries annually

-- Sustainability programs increasing from coast to coast

New York

-- #3 in total wine production, after California and Washington

-- #4 in number of wineries, after CA, WA, and OR

-- $4.8 billion total economic impact

                Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars maintained its winning ways this week with two Gold medals from the TexSomm wine competition for the 2013 Gewurztraminer and 2013 Riesling Reserve.  Next up is the Pacific Rim International where I'll be judging in about 10 days.

                 Elsewhere, at "The Best" rating of the top New York Cabernet Francs and Rieslings, Double Gold medals went to Jamesport 2010 Cabernet Franc and Kings Garden 2010 Cabernet Franc.  Gold medals were awarded to Millbrook 2013 Cabernet Franc Proprietors Special Reserve; Vineyard View 2012 Cabernet Franc; Chateau Niagara 2012 Cabernet Franc; Toro Run 2013 Semi-Dry Riesling; and Hunt Country 2012 Cabernet Franc

                 Wegmans just keeps racking up accolades, all richly deserved, with the latest being a #1 ranking among the "Best Supermarkets in America" according to a survey by Consumer Reports.  In three major categories, Wegmans ranked #1 in two (Overall, and Fresh Food Quality) and #2 in Price for Organics.

                 I stop at Wegmans near our offices in Canandaigua at least once each day, and am always amazed at how great it is.  Paradise for foodies!

                 Tug Hill Vineyards in the North Country will receive the Small Business Excellence Award from the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce in recognition of the quality of their wines, their food, and the overall experience.  Owners Mike and Sue Maring impressed me from the beginning, doing their homework before starting the winery and making excellent decisions all along the way.  Not surprisingly since their previous business was landscaping, Tug Hill's grounds are creative and immaculate, part of what has made the a winery a destination.  www.tughillvineyards.com.